New Children's activity trail launched at Stourhead House
A new children's activity trail has been launched inside Stourhead House.
The National Trust property, which is a Palladian house and world-famous landscape garden, has introduced the trail to engage its youngest visitors.
The trail includes a spotter trail flip book and seven activity stations across the showrooms.
The spotter trail flip book is filled with clues of items to find throughout the house.
Read more: Arkell's pub in Swindon granted permission for housing
The activity stations include reading, scented boxes, sketching, planning a Grand Tour, and playing games.
The stations are colour-coded in vivid blue to ensure they are not missed.
Elizabeth Ogilvie, senior visitor experience officer, said: "Stourhead house is filled with 300 years of stories and secrets that are for everyone to discover and explore – including kids.
"From playing historical party games in the Saloon to settling down with a good book in the Library, the new children's trail has been designed to inspire our littlest visitors to spend a moment absorbed in Stourhead's history through the medium of creativity and play."
The trail is free to take part in, but normal admission fees apply.
Stourhead is a Palladian house and world-famous landscape garden.
When it first opened in the 1740s, a magazine described it as 'a living work of art'.
Read more: Swindon Kaspa's Desserts improve food hygiene rating
The world-famous landscape garden has at its centrepiece a magnificent lake reflecting classical temples, mystical grottoes, and rare and exotic trees.
The history of Stourhead can be uncovered in the house with its unique Regency library, Chippendale furniture, and inspirational paintings.
The Palladian house is set amid 'picnic perfect' lawns and extensive parkland (2,650 acres), where chalk downs, ancient woods and farmland are managed for wildlife.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jeremy Clarkson pub staff walk out after 'too many problems'
Staff at Jeremy Clarkson's pub in the Cotswolds, The Farmer's Dog, walked out after facing "too many problems". The former Top Gear and Grand Tour host bought The Windmill in Asthall near Burford for around £1m. He set about renovating the spot and renamed the watering hole The Farmer's Dog in recognition of his pets and his nearby farm, Diddly Squat. The Chadlington-based farm is the subject of the Prime Video show Clarkson's Farm which was initially released in 2021. READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson announces new venture after Clarkson's Farm series four Its fourth series has had a staggered release over the past few weeks with eight new episodes in total. These new programmes show Mr Clarkson's decision to buy the Cotswolds pub as well as featuring the grand opening which took place last August. The final episode of the new season, released on Friday (June 6), exposed the challenges that The Farmer's Dog's opening faced across the August bank holiday. Problems saw several members of staff walk out from the pub, which was addressed in a candid conversation between Mr Clarkson and land agent Charlie Ireland READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson BANS customer from Cotswolds pub after complaint The Farmer's Dog pub in the Cotswolds. (Image: NQ) He said: "We've lost two waitresses. We lost a pot washer. After one day." The Express adds in a report that pressure mounted during a pub meeting with senior team members Sue and Rachel. They told Jeremy: "Everyone is exhausted, even when we say go for a break, there is no staff room. "The kitchen is about to go pop, those chefs have had it.... It might be worth popping into the kitchen." Despite the initial problems and hectic opening, the pub has found its feet and has been regularly welcoming healthy numbers of punters to the site with a full team on hand to meet the demand.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
National Trust gears up for packed summer across Gloucestershire
NATIONAL Trust sites across Gloucestershire are gearing up for a summer of activities. Whether it's a day of archaeology, an afternoon of theatre, or simply a picnic in the park, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Chedworth Roman Villa, near Cheltenham, is hosting a variety of events. These include the Gladiator Weekend on June 14 and 15, and the Festival of Archaeology from July 19 to August 3. And visitors can peruse a collection of rare Roman coins on July 19 and 26. Dyrham Park, located near Bath, will be hosting nature tots sessions every Tuesday until July, excluding school holidays. The Festival of Archaeology will run there from July 19 to August 3, offering guided walks, a heritage explorer trail, and a display of previously collected finds. Outdoor theatre will be a highlight at Dyrham Park, with The Lord Chamberlain's Men performing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on July 25 and 26. Over at Newark Park, near Wotton under Edge, Father's Day celebrations on June 15 will include tea, cake and jazz. On July 13, visitors can enjoy a display of pre-war and classic cars on the lawns. Bug hotel making sessions will be held on July 24 and 25, while outdoor theatre enthusiasts can look forward to performances of Sense and Sensibility and Hamlet on August 2 and August 30, respectively. Woodchester Park in Stroud is preparing for a summer filled with outdoor play. From July 23, the park will be transformed into a mini-festival with outdoor games, trails and activities for younger visitors On September 2, The Three Inch Fools will return for a special outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. And for younger audiences, Quantum Theatre will present The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck on July 19. Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate will be open on various weekends throughout August. Visitors can tour the building, play games on the lawn, and enjoy the Sherborne landscape. In addition to the above events, Summer of Play activities for families will be taking place across all the sites. All the listed events are free, although normal admission charges apply. National Trust places not only provide a day out but also help in the preservation of these special sites for future generations. For more details on what's happening at these locations, visit the National Trust website. .
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
How entry fees took over Britain's countryside
Growing stretches of the English countryside are 'falling behind a paywall,' campaigners warn as national parks grapple with drastic funding cuts. The Peak District National Park Authority caused uproar last week when executives said they were mulling the introduction of a £1 entry fee. Meanwhile, visitors to the New Forest face fresh parking charges. Elsewhere, centuries-old free access to Lord Bathurst's Cirencester Park in Gloucestershire was monetised last year, access to a popular waterfall on Dorset's Bridehead Estate was blocked as of Monday, and the National Trust has hiked its membership fees by 25pc in the space of just three years. While the fees may be small, campaigners say they underpin a crisis of growing inaccessibility to Britain's beauty spots. Recent government research found that 34pc of people do not have access to a woodland larger than 50 acres within 4km of their home. And just 8pc of land in England is covered by the right to roam – making it one of the worst rate rates in Europe, according to a separate 2022 study. Lewis Winks, of the Right to Roam campaign, said: 'From entry fees for historically open parks, to pay-for-permission wild camping and river swimming, the paywalling of the countryside is quietly shutting the public out. 'Britain already has the lowest levels of nature connectedness in Europe – we should be making it easier for everyone to get outside, not creating more barriers.' An entry fee to England's most accessible national park, the Peak District, has been suggested by its chief executive Phil Mulligan. The authority's financial troubles have been blamed on a fixed government grant that has not accounted for inflation or other costs such as the rise in the minimum wage. The dwindling of funds comes as the Peak District grapples with parking mayhem, overcrowding and litter problems which have blighted popular attractions such as Mam Tor. Mr Mulligan told the BBC that the park, which has around 13 million visitors per year, has cut 10pc of its staff in recent months and suffered a 50pc real terms funding cut over the last decade. A 10p per person fee would cover its recent losses, while a bolder £1 rate would eliminate the need for core government funding. The idea has been backed by the Reform UK leader of Derbyshire County Council. But the Peak District isn't alone in considering an admission charge. Kevin Bishop, chief executive of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, questioned if the rugged moorlands need to become the 'equivalent to a low-emission zone' where 'you get charged entry'. As reported by The Times, he said a public debate was needed on how national parks' upkeep should be paid for. 'Are you going to have a national park funding model whereby you have to pay a hiking licence, like you have to do in some countries every time you want to go for a walk?' The prospect of enforcing entry fees to access our national parks – which would need to be greenlit by the Government – has split opinion. Diane Drinkwater, of the British Beekeepers Association, believes access to nature 'should never become a luxury', and stresses that revenue raised must be ring-fenced and reinvested into the natural world. Kate Ashbrook, of the Open Spaces Society, said the group 'would certainly object to a fee just to enter an area', while regular Peak District hiker, Chloe Groom, said: 'The people who will be hit hardest are those that visit the national park two or three times a week. This takes enjoying the outdoors from a free and accessible activity to one that has a price tag.' Reacting after news broke of the potential £1 charge, Telegraph reader, Lee McLoughlin, commented: 'Here begins the monetising of outdoor spaces. Hell awaits society.' Mike Ross, who labelled the proposal 'ridiculous', said 'soon we won't be able to visit any part of the country without paying fees. What is life coming to?'. A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: 'Our national parks are a source of great national pride, which is why this government is providing them with a capital uplift of £15m. 'This is in addition to the £400m we are investing in restoring nature across the country. We are also helping national parks cut through bureaucracy and take an entrepreneurial approach to boost earnings.' Cash-strapped authorities have also been accused of exploiting Britain's beauty spots via their car parking fees. A minimum stay at Snowdon's popular Pen-y-Pass car park costs £20. Staying for a full day sets visitors back £40. Examples of rate increases at beauty spots are endless. Despite strong opposition, Leeds City Council this year introduced parking charges at five of its parklands, while Labour-run Birmingham City Council is pushing to bring in controversial rates at a trio of parks visited by thousands each year. The year-round fees, costing up to £5 a day, are proposed for Sutton Park, Sheldon Country Park and Lickey Hills Country Park. Ewan Mackey, a Conservative councillor, said: 'These parks were given to the people of this city for their use in perpetuity, for the benefit of their health and well-being. 'They weren't given to the council to be used as an out in Labour's ongoing cycle of crises.' The council concedes the charges are 'unpopular', but said in a report that it is 'reasonable to ask park users to contribute financially to [their] upkeep'. Elsewhere, Forestry England is considering introducing fees at its 130 car parks in the New Forest. Branded 'highly immoral' and a 'penny pinching' tactic by critics, the public body is understood to be eyeing up the parking price plan for next year. It partly blamed the need to charge motorists on 'prolonged bad weather' which has damaged its car parks and increased maintenance bills. A spokesman said: 'Caring for the New Forest has become increasingly expensive in recent years. This includes the price of vital materials needed to repair and maintain the car parks that have increased by more than 50pc over the last three years. 'At the same time, higher levels of damage to trails and car parks have been caused by prolonged bad weather and increasing usage.' Forestry England said less than 20pc of its funding comes from the Government. The spokesman added: 'We need to raise the majority of funds for car parks, trails and all of the work we do, ourselves. A sustainable approach to funding is needed if we are going to be able to continue to do this vital work and provide these facilities.' For those regularly using beauty spot car parks, annual membership with charities and organisations such as the National Trust, RSPB and Forestry Commission continues to be the most cost-effective option. Locations such as the White Cliffs of Dover (£6 per car) charge for parking, but the sites are free to use for members. Those looking to save on National Trust annual membership can purchase a National Trust for Scotland annual pass for £74.40, and still benefit from the parking perks in the rest of the UK. This is £22 cheaper than buying traditional National Trust membership. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
